Workshop
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“In the last analysis the human body, too, is built of the stuff of the world, the very stuff wherein fantasies become visible; indeed, without it they could not be experienced at all.” Jung 1940, CW 9.1, par. 290
Explore the fascinating world of movement in an experiential class that requires nothing more than a willingness to play and a curiosity about the movement life of our experiences. We will explore everyday gestural and task-oriented movements that acquire personal meaning as we vary their spatial range and pathways, play with their timing, and alter their sequence and phrasing. Images and narratives will emerge. Whole dances have been choreographed from a few simple task-oriented actions.
We will also take time to reflect on our own movement preferences that emerge and look, through a movement analysis lens, at ways to explore the personal meaning those preferences hold for us. Our bodies long to speak, and they love to play. In the words of C. G. Jung:
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect, but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” Jung 1921, CW 6, par. 197
Anne Warren is Professor Emerita in Dance at UMD. She is a CMA (Certified Movement Analyst) in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies and a former dancer and choreographer. She applied her movement analysis training to the development of interdisciplinary courses in the Honors college, helping students from a wide range of majors explore the movement life of ideas in their disciplines.
FAQ
Is this a dance class?
No, but maybe a better answer would be that it depends on your definition of dance.
We will be exploring the highly developed movement language that all of us have already acquired throughout a lifetime of embodied experience and expression. We are all dancers in our lives.
Is any skill or prior knowledge required?
No, you already have a very rich palette of movement available to you. You will be able to make choices and attune to your comfort level in all of the movement explorations. That includes the option to just observe at any point when you need or want to.
What is the format of the class?
The class is experiential. We will be alternately moving and talking throughout the class. The class is in the library, so we will primarily explore the elements of our movement language through gestural movement.
What should I wear?
Whatever you are comfortable wearing. I do recommend leaving dangling jewelry at home.
Anything else?
Yes, leave your inner critic at home that day. The inner critic and the inner child don’t play well together in movement explorations.